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Tag Archives: Britt Ekland

Scandal

16 Tuesday Jul 2019

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

1980's, Based on a true story, Bridget Fonda, Britt Ekland, Drama, Ian McKellen, Jeroen Krabbé, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, John Hurt, Michael Caton-Jones, Scandal

A dramatisation of the Profumo Scandal of the early 60’s, Scandal is a stylish and well acted evocation of the time and excellently focuses on the nature of guilt and a powder keg situation and who suffers and rises as a result of it.

In 1959, society osteopath and charming man Stephen Ward( John Hurt) meets the beautiful young showgirl by the name of Christine Keeler(Joanne Whalley-Kilmer). Immediately entranced, he asks her to live with him and she accepts. Their relationship is mainly platonic as he schools her in the art of moving in higher circles to which he aspires. After a makeover, Christine is ready for the future as Ward introduces her to wealthy gentlemen who she can spend the night with. Joining her is the saucy and fun loving fellow showgirl Mandy Rice-Davies(Bridget Fonda), who goes along with the fun of the time and enjoys the attention. At first, the girls are in it for the fun and Stephen is their sponsor as they share the beds of powerful men and he hears details. Keeler in particular is between the sheets with most notably Minister of War, John Profumo( Ian McKellen) and alleged spy Eugene Ivanov( Jeroen Krabbé) . An inevitable fallout begins when Christine feels used by the whole situation and you can see that Ward is realising he is out of his depth. Scandal engulfs everyone when an angry and dejected Christine sells the story to the papers, setting off a tragic set of events that brings down the Conservative Government and embarrasses the Establishment in the early 1960’s.

Michael Caton-Jones has the right feel for the time where you can sense that times were for the changing and the Sexual Revolution was about to explode. We also get insights into the people behind the headlines and a bit of insight into this revealing affair that captured everyone. Parts of the film drag on occasion and can get a bit dull, but the dark second half more than makes up for any langurs. I would have liked to have seen some characters a little more such as Profumo and , but when they were on screen they were good to view. A tiny bit of expansion is what I wanted just a bit more of, though I understand that the story was mainly focused on Ward. Although it deals with affairs and sexual encounters, Scandal isn’t overtly sleazy. Yes there is nudity and some unusual activity going on, but it doesn’t feel cheap and exploitative because of this immensely watchable true story that was quite the event in its day and shook things up on a massive scale. Plus, I think it skewers the whole myth of those higher up in society being above others in terms of decency, when in fact they are just as bad as anyone else. And who can forget the allure of Christine and Mandy getting ready for a night out; eyeliner going on and stockings being applied, to the sound of ‘Apache’? On a visual level, the glamour and chance of new promise that started with the 60’s is rendered beautifully.

The ever excellent John Hurt turns in one of his most underrated performances as the eventual scapegoat in the spiralling situation. While Ward was no angel, he was used as whipping boy and discarded by the friends in high society who themselves were far from lily white. John Hurt masterfully plays to the flaws of this charming man, but finds sympathy to his eventual fate that befell Ward, who paid for his attempts to move in the right circles. It’s a hard act to pull off, but Hurt does it with considerable skill in finding the lonely heart of a man undone by his actions and given the lions share of blame. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer project a feeling of naive innocence to start and then progress to unearth a sexy and alluring confidence. Whalley-Kilmer is a sensual presence on screen with her dark hair and doe eyes shining. Her biggest triumph is the mystery she encapsulates when playing Keeler; sometimes you are unsure of what she is thinking or likely to do. Through subtle flashes, we view a young woman at the centre of controversy and reacting in all sorts of ways to it.

A wonderfully and impeccably cast Bridget Fonda is a high point; clearly savouring her role as the sexy Mandy with whom Christine finds herself friends with. She’s got the confidence, razor sharp wit and slinky glamour that is superbly put to great use. It’s her who gets the humour and good lines in Scandal and makes the most of them. Although I would have liked to have seen more of him, Ian McKellen is reliably good as Profumo, showing a man paying for his desires and jeopardising everything he’s worked for in return for the company of a beautiful young woman. The same can be said of Jeroen Krabbé, though it’s Mckellen who emerges as the most interesting of the two. A sexy supporting part is afforded to Britt Ekland, who is a stunning beauty and makes the most of her short time on screen.

A well directed and well cast look at The Profumo Affair, Scandal is intriguing and inviting in its exploration of culpability and Parliamentary ruin.

The Wicker Man

19 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 40 Comments

Tags

1970's, Britt Ekland, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Edward Woodward, Horror, Ingrid Pitt, Mystery, Robin Hardy, The Wicker Man

Film Title

The Wicker Man

Director

Robin Hardy

Starring

  • Edward Woodward as Sergeant Neil Howie
  • Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle
  • Britt Ekland as Willow MacGregor
  • Diane Cilento as Miss Rose
  • Ingrid Pitt as the Librarian

A seminal work of British horror, The Wicker Man stands as an unusual and highly chilling film cloaked in mystery, eroticism and spellbinding strangeness.

Sergeant Neil Howie journeys to the island of Summerisle, located in the Hebrides. He is there to investigate the disappearance of a young girl by the name of Rowan Morrison. Sergeant HowieYet upon his arrival on the island, many of the townsfolk deny knowledge of the young girl ever existing. Howie, a devout Christian, is further appalled by the Pagan beliefs of the residents and is in full dismay of their liberated activities such as copulating in fields, children learning about phallic symbols in school and worshiping God’s of nature. An immediate clash of ideas becomes very apparent as Howie discovers proof that there was a Rowan Morrison and that the various tales from the uncooperative folk are merely to put him off the scent of something sinister. Continuing his search, he comes up against opposition in the form of Lord Summerisle, an oily but charismatic leader of the people and is teased by the seductive Willow, the daughter of the landlord of the inn Howie stays in while investigating the increasingly strange and very mysterious case. This battle of beliefs ultimately sets in motion the build up to a horrifying climax on the May Day celebrations as a result of Howie’s unwillingness to accept the islanders way of thinking.

The first thing to notice about The Wicker Man is that while it is a horror film, it is one of the atypical variety. Instead of senseless gore and blood flowing, it relies on the horror of the things unfamiliar to us and the unusual customs of the islanders. Lord Summerisle The Wicker ManFrom the very beginning, we can see that the beliefs of the townsfolk are somewhat different from anything we’ve seen before. This also helps with the clash of religions that becomes very apparent with the arrival of Howie, whose obstinate belief in God makes him unable to accept any other belief whatsoever. The fact that The Wicker Man is set predominately during the daytime also adds to the eeriness of the piece, as it is the time when most people feel safe and free from harm. By setting most of the film in daylight, director Robin Hardy has added an extra layer of eccentricity to an already bizarre but enthralling mysterious branch of horror. Hardy perfectly paces The Wicker Man as a slow burning horror, that doesn’t rely on jump scares or flowing of blood, but instead gradually rises up with mystery and creepiness towards an unforgettable climax that will linger for a long time in the memory of viewers. There is a lyrical eye to detail throughout this film that captures the stunning scenery of the island, but basks it in an enigmatic and spellbinding glow of something a lot more sinister beneath the surface. The extremely memorable folk score provided adds another touch of hypnotizing glory to The Wicker Man, bringing us the beliefs of the people and nature yet also filling the songs and various lilting lullabies with symbolism and bristling eroticism.

Edward Woodward excellently plays the pious Howie, whose investigation is complicated by the islander’s evasive attitude and his disturbance at seeing their various beliefs that are at odds with his cloistered doctrines. In a sense, Howie is our eyes and ears at bringing us the unusual beliefs of the people and exposing his obstinate attitude towards them. Woodward is wonderfully effective in the role and manages to make Howie a complex character to watch. Christopher Lee is perfectly cast as Lord Summerisle, and he imbues the island leader with charm, witty intelligence and underlying menace. The Wicker Man WillowBritt Ekland brings slinky sex appeal to the role of the libidinous Willow, whose erotic singing and dancing in the nude in an attempt to lure the virginal Howie into her carnal bed represents one of the more sensual and bizarre highlights of the picture. Diane Cilento and Ingrid Pitt bring enigmatic life to their characters of school teacher/ priestess and evasive librarian.

Unusual, provocative and altogether an unforgettable experience, The Wicker Man is a film that will haunt your dreams from its interesting opening to jaw-dropping finale.

 

The Man with the Golden Gun

04 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by vinnieh in 007 thoughts and reviews, Movie Reviews

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

007, 1970's, Bernard Lee, Britt Ekland, Christopher Lee, Clifton James, Desmond Llewelyn, Guy Hamilton, Hervé Villechaize, James Bond, Lois Maxwell, Maud Adams, Roger Moore, Soon-Tek Oh, Spy, The Man with the Golden Gun

Film Title

The Man with the Golden Gun

Director

Guy Hamilton

Starring

  • Roger Moore as James Bond
  • Christopher Lee as Francisco Scaramanga
  • Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight
  • Maud Adams as Andrea Anders
  • Hervé Villechaize as Nick Nack
  • Soon-Tek Oh as Lieutenant Hip
  • Clifton James as Sheriff J.W. Pepper
  • Bernard Lee as M
  • Desmond Llewelyn as Q
  • Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny

Roger Moore’s second tour of duty as James Bond comes by way of The Man with the Golden Gun. It doesn’t match the heights of Live and Let Die because of its reliance on too much comedy and uneven sense of pace, but it has its moments that are exciting and enjoyable nonetheless, as is to be expected of any Bond movie. It may not be the best that the franchise has to offer, but it does its job.

The energy crisis is at its height and agent 007 is sent by M to locate a Solex Agitator, a powerful device that uses the sun for energy. There is just one hitch in the mission, MI6 has received a golden bullet, engraved with 007 on it. The Man with the Golden Gun posterThe only known person to use such a bullet is Francisco Scaramanga, an assassin who charges a million for a kill and is largely unseen by many. M believes that the bullet is a warning that Bond is the next intended target for Scaramanga. Bond, although investigating the Solar crisis, decides to find Scaramanga before he becomes the next victim. Jetting from Macau to Hong Kong and eventually Thailand, Bond discovers that the Solex and Scaramanga are actually linked in an evil plot to harness the world’s solar energy. With the bumbling MI6 agent Mary Goodnight in tow and the help of Scaramanga’s terrified mistress Andrea Anders, Bond is sent into this dangerous game of cat and mouse with his eye on eliminating Scaramanga before it is too late.

As previously mentioned, The Man with the Golden Gun is not the finest Bond film out there. I feel that the writers went a bit overboard on the comedy and lost some of the essence of the previous movies. A good example of this is the car stunt over a rickety bridge that is quite amazing to watch, but marred by the presence of a slide whistle sound effect that detracts from the impact of the stunt. Guy Hamilton lays on the comedy a little too thick with his direction, but at least has some quality action moments and stunning locales to showcase in the typical Bond fashion. The pacing is quite indifferent as well and could have been trimmed a little in parts that drag on. Just as Live and Let Die had incorporated elements of the blaxploitation genre that was popular at the time, Golden Gun decides to get in on the act with countless references to the burgeoning Kung Fu genre. Some of the martial arts scenes are good and well staged, but they eventually become more than a little tiresome. With those negatives out of the way, the positives will now be discussed. The location work is beautiful and the choice of Thailand is a stroke of genius. Scaramanga’s lair is a definite highlight of this, with the island location and breathtaking views. Bond and ScaramangaIt makes for an excellent scene in which Scaramanga challenges Bond to an old-fashioned gun duel. John Barry returns for musical duties and provides a lush score with Far Eastern allure and intrigue ever-present. The title song may not be the best, but with Lulu on vocal duties and singing with seductive fervor, it serves its purpose.

Roger Moore is once again on fine form as Bond, playing the role with a definite tongue in cheek quality and filled with some great one liners. He has the charm to burn and charisma a plenty and firmly establishes his idea of Bond. Christopher Lee, with his imposing stature and sinister presence is an ideal adversary for Bond. Playing Scaramanga as a ruthless but utterly charming villain, Lee relishes the part as he toys with Bond and questions his moral standing. Although a gorgeous presence and a stunner in a revealing bikini, Britt Ekland’s role as fellow MI6 agent Mary Goodnight is not the best. Mary GoodnightA bumbling and very clumsy helper to Bond, many of her antics act as more of a hindrance than anything else. I will give Britt Ekland some credit in that she does have her funny and charming moments, but the role of Goodnight just isn’t that good or interesting. Maud Adams gets the better Bond girl role in the form of the tragic and vulnerable Andrea and is very emotionally effective in the part. It is through her that Bond traces Scaramanga and we get the sense of loneliness and restriction that Andrea must endure under the influence of Scaramanga. Hervé Villechaize is a hoot as Scaramanga’s pint-sized sidekick Nick Nack who is prone to sly actions. Soon-Tek Oh is not very effective as an agent helping Bond on the mission. The same can be said about bringing back Clifton James as Sheriff Pepper. It is a misstep as he soon becomes a nuisance in the film. Bernard Lee is particularly gruff but witty this time around as Bond’s superior and Lois Maxwell equally charming as Moneypenny. And its good to see Desmond Llewelyn back as Q after his absence in the last movie.

The Man with the Golden Gun is not 007’s finest hour, but it has its moments that can be enjoyed throughout.

 

 

 

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